Stock photo | Getty Images | Comstock
The question
I am retired and finally going on a cruise. They tell us we will need a tuxedo. We will be going through some hot zones. I have an old one with a white jacket that still fits. Are these hopelessly outdated or do I need to get a standard black penguin suit?
The answer
White dinner jackets came into use and acceptability precisely for such tropical entertainments. They were first seen around the world in the 1930s in the hotter British colonies. Bogart wears one in his smoky nightclub in Casablanca and looks deadly in it. Connery wears a beauty in Goldfinger. They are not worn in the U.K. itself. If you must wear one in this country, make sure it is only in the summer months. (It would not be appropriate for the upcoming New Year's Eve here.) Note that the white dinner jacket is not exactly white: It's usually cream. Its lapels are not contrasting like those of its black counterpart: They are of the same fabric as the rest of the jacket and will be shawl or peak (not notch) in design. The rest of the outfit will be exactly the same as standard black tie: white shirt with French cuffs, black bow tie, black trousers with one satin or grosgrain ribbon on the outseam, no cuffs on the trousers, plain shiny black lace-up shoes (no slip-ons, no brogues), black socks. I would love such an excuse to dress like Bond, on assignment, at an embassy party in Jakarta.
Russell Smith's latest novel is Girl Crazy. Have a fashion question? E-mail style@globeandmail.com.